Daughter of the Wolves
by Deekz
Summary: Basically a retelling of Warcraft III, only with a new character and a few twists so it won't be so boring. R/R. ^_^
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Blizzard (though it would be nice ^_^;), and I am no making any profit from writing this. I'm writing this because 1) Warcraft III owns me, and 2) for fun, of course. ^_^

Chapter 1

          Grom Hellscream roared as he slashed down at the Moonhunter's Tree of Life. The Tree gave out a low moan before falling down towards the ground. He smiled and looked over the elves' camp—or what was left of it. His troops had ravaged the two other camps and pillaged their Trees of Life in order to gather the wood needed to set up a camp.

          _At least gathering the wood wasn't all manual labor_, Grom thought to himself. Peons crowded the Tree of Life, breaking apart the lifeless tree and bringing them back to a nearby War Mill.

          "Chieftain!" a grunt ran up to Grom from behind. "We have amassed enough lumber to set up a camp."

          Grom nodded. "Very well then, we sh—"

          The grunt bellowed, caught off guard as a large gray wolf as it lunged at him, knocking the axe out of his hands. The wolf growled and bit down on the grunts neck, eyes filled with anger.

          "Damn wolf!" Grom yelled, swinging his axe down at the wolf. The wolf jumped out of the way, but it was a second too late. A deep slash ran down from its muscular shoulder down to its paws. The wolf growled furiously and stood its ground as it glared at the advancing Grom.

          An arrow whizzed by, skimming Grom's arm. He looked up and saw a young girl emerging from the trees. She looked roughly 16 years old, with long black hair adorned in raven's feathers. Her bangs covered her forehead, almost touching her eyebrows. She glared daggers at Grom with her intense chestnut eyes, which stood out against her pale complexion. Her body was covered with the pelt of a young Furbolg; her legs with a deerskin pelt in the form of a skirt that barely touched her knees. Her feet were covered with crude boots, made up of several hardy pelts. She held her bow readily, bowstring pulled back and ready to shoot again.

          "You beast!" the girl hissed. "You and your kind are not welcome to these lands! Leave when you have the chance!."

          "A human!" Grom jeered. "And a girl at that!"

          "Do not associate me with the humans, greenskin," the girl retorted. "They abandoned me long ago…now leave! You will assuredly find death in these forests!"

          The injured wolf ran to the girl's side. She glared at Grom for another second, then fled off into the cover of the forest.

*   *   *

The girl, Silvitas Firestorm, and the wolf ran deeper into the woods. Years of living in the woods had strengthened the girl, both physically and mentally. She could run quickly and do it for miles on end. Her arms were strong, and her hands were callused and tough. 

"I…cannot run any farther, Silvitas," the wolf croaked.

Silvitas stopped and looked around. "The greenskins don't seem to be following us. We'll set camp here, then, Torvin."

Torvin feel to the ground, panting. The wound still bled, though it wasn't as much as earlier. The pain didn't bother him much; his body bore many battle scars, and this wasn't as serious as other grievous wounds that he had received in the past.

"Your wound…" Silvitas stepped towards the wolf. "We need to cover it up."

Torvin laughed heartily. "Don't worry about me, sister. This isn't the worst one, you know. I can defend myself. You just go and get help."

Silvitas frowned. "Very well then. I'll go get Aeslanda, brother. Please be careful."

Torvin nodded and Silvitas turned around. She hesitated for a moment; Torvin was a wolf that she considered her big brother. Aeslanda Firestorm, the wolf who had taken care of her all her life, told her that when Orgrim Doomhammer had invaded Lordaeron, many people fled for Kalimdor. When they landed, the wolves of her clan, the Wolves of the Flame, followed the humans, curious as to who they were. They listened to the humans' conversations, gathering information about the world that was unknown to them. The humans had stumbled upon a band of dragons, who slaughtered many of them; the wolves fought them off, but they were a mite late. The only survivor was small baby child—Silvitas, as the wolves named her. Silvitas was raised by Aeslanda; Torvin her playmate, and even protector at times.

Silvitas shook off her thoughts. It _would_ be a better idea to bring the wolves over to Torvin, because Torvin would not be able to make the trip back to the village. She took off into the woods, running as fast as she could.

*   *   *

          "Mother Aeslanda! Mother Aeslanda!"

          Aeslanda turned and looked at Silvitas. Aeslanda was an old wolf with a shaggy grayish white coat. She was still a strong wolf, but her strongest time was when she was a middle-aged wolf, who fought with ferocity against the hostile beasts that roamed their lands. Aeslanda, however, changed considerably over the years. The fighting spirit in her diminished after many years, and she began to only fight whenever necessary.

          "What is it, Silvitas?" Aeslanda asked. "Is something wrong?"

          Silvitas nodded, breathing heavily. "A greenskinned demon—an orc, I think--attacked Torvin, Mother Aeslanda. He needs help!"

          "An orc?" Aeslanda said, troubled.

          Silvitas jumped onto Aeslanda's back. "Please…hurry!" Aeslanda hurried off into the woods, troubled by the thought of orcs invading their sacred lands.

*  *  *

          "Will he be okay, Mother?" Silvitas watches Aeslanda chant the final incantation to seal Torvin's wound.

          Aeslanda nodded. "He will be okay. For now, he only needs rest. Now…tell me about this greenskinned demon that you believe is an orc. One of our sentries stumbled upon two demons speaking of orcs destroying the forest."

"That's them," Silvitas said. "Torvin and I watched their camp for a while; they were cutting down many trees and killing the night elves."

"Killing night elves? It takes quite a formidable foe to kill night elves…"

"Yes. Torvin could not bear the sight of it and he killed one of the orcs. But there was another one there, and he was the one who attacked Torvin."

"I…see."

"But…for all my life, I have never seen any outsiders. What are those two demons that your sentry speaks of?"

Aeslanda sighed. "My mother and those before her were told stories of terrible legions of demons who ravaged the lands many years ago, Silvitas…legions of demons who had an eternal lust for magic, who would devastate world after world…these demons, the Burning Legion, have no shown their faces here on Kalimdor for ages. But I remember my mother telling me that they would surely come because of the people across the sea—the humans—recklessly practice magic, luring the Burning Legion to our world."

"Why have they not fought in Kalimdor?" Silvitas, awed, asked.

"Oh, they have fought here before," Aeslanda said. "But that was millennias ago, when the night elves first made Kalimdor their home. They, too, recklessly practiced magic, bringing the Burning Legion to our world for the first time. The first time they fought the land of Kalimdor was left deeply scarred…the eastern part of Kalimdor fell under the sea as a result of the great war. They successfully fought off the Burning Legion with the help of the ancient dragons. After the war, they swore never to use magic again."

"But the humans did…" Silvitas said.

"Yes. As well as a band of elves who refused to give up their magic."

"Oh…"

"Silvitas…" The old wolf gaze was set upon Silvitas's eyes. "A great war will be fought soon. Blood will be spilled, both of the Legions and of many others. Again this land will be scarred; again many lives will be lost. This time, the war will stretch over lands all over our world. The Wolf Mother Spir-Alan has told me so. I have seen it with my own eyes in my dreams..."

"Then I will fight!" Silvitas said, with grim enthusiasm. "I will fight against those wretched demons, Mother Aeslanda!"

          Aeslanda lip curled into a smile. "And I will too."

          "You will too? You can't fight, you're—"

          Aeslanda chuckled. "I am old, I know. But that does not mean that I don't have the strength and the spirit to fight. It's in me, somewhere, waiting for its chance."

          Silvitas looked down. "The invasion will come soon, won't it?"

          "I am sure that it will, Silvitas. Be brave, young one. Be brave."

          "I-I will be, Mother Aeslanda."

          The crow of a rooster rang across the hazy sky. The sun burned away what was left of the fog, and birds stirred from their sleep, singing their songs across the Ashenvale Forest.

          Silvitas sat down next to Aeslanda and quietly watched the serene dawn. She wouldn't be afraid in this fight—she would fight until her death if it were to save the forest. She leaned on Aeslanda's shoulder, closing her eyes. "I will fight, Mother Aeslanda…I will fight."

A/N: Yay, I finally got to writing this. This was just an idea that was lurking around my head for some time, but I wanted to get through the game (or at least the part I needed to get through) twice so I would know the storyline of Warcraft III better. Please excuse any mistakes concerning the storyline in here, because I only have Warcraft III to play, and I'm really only living off what's written on Legends of Azeroth & WarcraftIII.net (these guys are my GODS), so many thanks to them. ^_^; Please review if you liked the story; that's really what many authors go off of—positive comments about their story.

BTW, for those of you who have seen Princess Mononoke, doesn't Silvitas bear a lot of resemblance to San? ^_^; Well, I based a lot of things after her, such as the whole wolf thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Blizzard (though it would be nice ^_^;), and I am no making any profit from writing this. I'm writing this because 1) Warcraft III owns me, and 2) for fun, of course. ^_^

Chapter 2

          Torvin awoke, the afternoon sun glaring down at him. He snapped his eyes shut and turned away. He took a deep breath, the musky scent of the Ashenvale forest filling his nose. His mind registered the different scents, one of them he recognized as prey. His ears pricked up and his eyes opened immediately. The scent made his stomach growl in hunger. He slowly got up, his front leg still sore from the slash. Even though the slash was sealed shut, healing didn't do much to internal damage.

          "Be still, young one."

          Torvin's instincts had taken him over, making him unaware of Silvitas & Aeslanda. "I'm hungry…" Torvin said.

          "Then Silvitas will get the food for you," Aeslanda said. "Do no strain that wound of yours, Torvin. It will heal faster if you get the proper rest. Now, Silvitas, if you will…"

          Silvitas nodded and stalked off into the woods.

          Aeslanda & Torvin watched Silvitas leave. "I am sure that you know what's going on, Torvin," Aeslanda said.

          "Yes," Torvin said. "I guess so. Those were orcs, weren't they?"

          "Indeed," Aeslanda said.      

          "But what I don't get is why they're here," Torvin said. "Those vile beasts, they cut down many trees and slew the nearby night elf encampments."

          Aeslanda closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them. "Nobody from across the seas has set foot in our lands and done harm such as this for many years…do you know what this means?"

          Torvin thought for a moment. "Demons…"

          "Yes…" Aeslanda said. "I trust that I have taught you well enough on this matter."

          Torvin nodded grimly.

          "Silvitas will be back soon. For now, rest my son."

          Torvin limped over under a tree, where he lied down. He sat there, awake, pondering the invasion. He hated the idea of invaders on the sacred lands—he preferred living in seclusion, like the night elves. He and his clan were well aware of the night elf's ancient presence, and the night elf's were also aware of the wolves' presence. But they rarely made contact, only stumbling upon each other while hunting. Whenever the time came by, they would only stare at each other for a couple of seconds, and continue their separate ways.

          Torvin shifted his weight and let out a sigh. Slowly sleep was claiming him, ebbing away his thoughts. Finally he fell in a fitful sleep.

* * *

          Silvitas fell down on her knees, after spotting a lone stag. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

          "Anoro stru-tlan…Wolf Mother Spir-Alan aid me in this hunt," Silvitas whispered, reciting the Hunting Prayer. She opened her eyes and got back up, crouching down with her bow ready and loaded.

          The stag, unaware of Silvitas, broke out into open land, grazing on the deep grass. Silvitas warily followed the animal in the shadows, watching her steps.

          There was a slight breeze from the south. The stag looked up, suddenly aware of its surroundings. Its nose twitched; its purplish ears swiveled back and forth. It stood, tensed, ready to scurry off at any moment.

          Silvitas knew that the stag had caught her scent. She still walked, cool and calculating. She almost reached the opening, when the stag suddenly darted off, its long legs pounding against the soft earth.

          _There's nothing to lose_, Silvitas told herself, and she jolted forward with a yell. She pulled her bow string back and let the arrow loose. It whizzed by the panicked stag's shoulder, grazing it. It barely discouraged the stag as it continued to sprint through the opening.

          Suddenly Silvitas became more aware of her own surroundings. She found herself covered in a shadow. She looked up and saw a hippogryph and its rider flying towards the direction of the stag.

          _There must be another battle going on…_ Silvitas thought. She still continued following the stag. The stag was getting away from her, but it was still within distance of her arrow. Loading her bow once again, she aimed and fired. She heard the stag as it continued to flee. Then she heard a cry out in the distance. Her arrow had hit its mark!

          Silvitas slowed her pace. She didn't see the stag anywhere, and she doubted that her arrow was able to travel such a distance. She found another clearing ahead, and a strangely familiar sound--barking. Curious, she inched a bit closer, stepping gingerly on the forest floor.

          Even with her careful steps, more barking still arose. She told herself not to come any closer, but she wanted to know what the strange wolf was doing. The trees gradually thinned away, and Silvitas knelt down warily, observing the outlandish wolf that anxiously paced back and forth, giving out an occasionally bark and whine. She strained her eyes further. The wolf was smaller than the timber wolves that resided in the forest, but it looked bulkier. Creeping closer, she realized that a greenskinned thing—an orc—mounted the wolf.

          The orc that sat atop the wolf looked annoyed with the wolf. He was blissfully unaware of anyone watching him, and felt no need to be edgy. The wolf began to sniff around. Then it froze, ready to spring up at any moment. It let out a growl, and the orc got the message that someone was there.

          "Go get 'em!" the orc hollered. The wolf sprang forward, and Silvitas leaped out of the way. She heard the sound of snapping jaws near her, and she shuddered at the thought of the wolf's powerful jaws sinking its teeth into her neck. Normally she wouldn't attack a fellow wolf, but a wolf that sided with the orcs unacceptable!

          Silvitas took the chance to load her bow and aim while the wolf started to recover from the attack. She aimed it at the wolf and concentrated her energies into the bow. The familiar warmth of magic flowed from her chest to her arms, then exited. Small wisps of flame encircled her arrow. The wisps grew larger and larger, becoming more apparent at a quick pace. In just a second, billowing flames enveloped the entire arrow, even covering Silvitas's hands. The fire didn't bother her; after all, she was part of the Firestorm clan, whose fixed element was fire, and Aeslanda had taught her various spells. She let go of the flaming arrow. Her aim was fatal; it struck the wolf's belly. The wolf let out a high-pitched cry and fell to the ground. The orc cursed and hopped off the wolf. He let out a cry and he charged at Silvitas, who had just began loading her bow again.

          "Aah!" the gigantic blade cut through Silvatas's pelt and pierced her abdomen. She teetered out of the way before the blade could go any deeper. She figured the orc was too close to use her bow on. She tossed her bow to the side and unsheathed her dagger.

          The orc laughed at what looked like a petty attempt to defend herself, but determination flared in her eyes as she stood, staring the him down.

          "Yahh!" Silvitas cried out as she sprinted towards the orc. She jumped up high, dagger put forth as she approached the unsuspecting Raider. Her dagger made a clean cut through his hand. He howled in pain, grasping the unsightly wound. His sword fell to the ground, and Silvitas took the chance to attack. She charged forward, dagger held in the air as she brought it down in one fluent motion. The blade met the unprotected chest of the orc. He let out a death cry, his face contorted with pain and shock as he fell to the ground.

          Silvitas pulled her dagger out of the dead orc's chest. Her breathing came in short and ragged. The heat of the battle no longer filled her thoughts, and the pain of her wound made her weak. She clutched the bleeding cut, wincing. The thought of the stag came back to her again, and she looked around for it. She saw teeth marks on the stag's throat, and she knew it was the wolf that had killed it, not her bow. She couldn't ignore it, though. She had to bring the food back to Torvin, even if she felt like she lacked the strength to carry it back. She walked painfully over to the carcass and grab the stag's black horns.

          Silvitas heard footsteps. It was the last thing she wanted to hear. She looked up, and saw other orcs approaching; some like the one she had just killed, and others that walked on foot with large axes. Silvitas knew by their looks that they knew that she was there. A huge boulder came crashing down, knocking away any trees that might've covered Silvitas.

          She gasped at what she saw. Not only were there many orcs surrounding her, but also outlandish structures that were part of a camp that stretched for several trees' lengths. She snapped herself out of her awe as she heard a loud, booming voice.

          "Who dares defile these ancient lands? Who dares the wrath of Cenarius and the night elves?"

A/N: Okay, I finished the second chapter now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. ^_^; Not really much to do with the storyline, but I guess it was just nice to have some action in there. Thanks for the reviews; I'll be sure to keep on writing. ^^;


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Blizzard (though it would be nice ^_^;), and I am no making any profit from writing this. I'm writing this because 1) Warcraft III owns me, and 2) for fun, of course. ^_^

Chapter 3

          Trees fell around Silvitas. Each tree that struck the ground made the earth rumble. She watched in awe as tree after tree fell, each revealing a Treant. Aeslanda had told Silvitas about Treants before, but this was the first time she actually saw them in person.

          The Treants were beat down easily, but they served only as fodder. Archers & Huntresses revealed themselves and cut down many of the orcs, who were caught by surprised. Silvitas turned around, eyes wide, as she saw more of the Night Elves' army coming it: Chimaeras, Hippogryphs, Dryads, and Ballistae.

          Silvitas was about to make her way into the forest, clutching her bleeding wound, when her ears caught a whizzing sound. She turned around as a Huntresses' glaive was making its way toward her. She jumped out of the way and hit the ground hard, cringing.

          "H…Halt, night elf," Silvitas managed to say. "I am Silvitas Firestorm, daughter of Aeslanda, leader of the Firestorm Wolf Clan! I am on your side!"

          "Daughter of the wolf, Aeslanda?" the Huntress hissed. "You look nothing like a wolf, outlander!" The Huntress readied for another attack, her panther hissing.

          "Stop, Alantis!" a large centaur-like creature came bounding up to her. "The girl speaks the truth."

          Alantis bowed her head. "I am sorry, wolf girl. Please forgive me." 

          Silvitas didn't know who their centaur creature was, but there was an immense sense of dignity and power surrounding him.

          "My wound…" Silvitas lifted her hand off the wound. She shook her head. _Don't be so weak…_ Silvitas told herself. "I-I must return to where I belong."

          Silvitas began getting up, but the centaur gently pushed her down. "Don't be a fool, Silvitas. I am Cenarius, demigod of the night elves. You will never make it back to Aeslanda & Torvin with that wound of yours."

          "How did you know my name?" Silvitas asked. "And Torvin…?"

          Cenarius chuckled. His voice darkened as he spoke, "I have lived in these forests for eons, little one. I know all that goes on in these forests…Alantis, bring the girl to the Shadowleaves'' camp."

          "Yes, Cenarius," the Huntress helped Silvitas up. Silvitas mounted the panther; it was much like mounting the wolves.

          "To the Shadowleaves' camp!" the Huntress commanded. The panther immediately bounded off to the north.

          Silvitas took one last look at the encampment the night elves were decimating. Treants, Archers, Huntresses, and Dryads all attacked the spiked buildings of the orcs, while the Chimaeras & Hippogryph Riders backed them up from above. The buildings were destroyed with ease…the power of the night elves amazed Silvitas.

          Silvitas began to grow weak and dizzy. "Ugh…" she groaned.

          "Hold on, we're almost there," Alantis reassured her. Sure enough they were. The base was small, but it had the much needed Moon Well.

          "Greetings, Alantis," an Archer walked up to the Huntress. "What brings you do our base?"

          "Help her down while I get the Moon Well's water, Shari," the Huntress said.

          Shari grabbed hold of Silvitas and set her down on the ground. Silvitas began to grow weaker and weaker, slowly beginning to lose her grip on consciousness. The next and last thing she felt was cool water trickling down her throat 

* * *

          Something was poking at Silvitas' side. She squirmed. "Stop it…" she hissed. Whoever was poking her didn't stop. Annoyed, she opened her eyes, only to find Mother Aeslanda sniffing what used to be where her wound was.

          "Mother Aeslanda! I-I didn't know it was you," Silvitas blushed slightly. "Sorry."

          Aeslanda ignored her comments. "The water of these Moon Wells are interesting," she mused.

          "Mother Aeslanda…" Silvitas tried to catch her attention.

          "They have the power to heal quickly & effectively," Aeslanda continued to ramble on. "Much more effective than mine…"

          "Mother Aeslanda!" Silvitas said louder.

          "Oh?" Aeslanda turned around to look at Silvitas.

          "Please stop it," Silvitas said. "It…it kinda tickles."

          The wolf laughed and backed off, minding her own business. Silvitas blushed furiously and stood up, looking around. It was morning, and she was in the middle of the Shadowleaves' base. The sight of a Night Elf camp wasn't anything new to her. She'd see them time-to-time when she patrolled her clan's territory.

          Silvitas remembered the first time she had seen a Night Elf settlement—and a Night Elf. She was only four springs old, and Torvin five. They both explored the forest at night, against Mother Aeslanda's will, and when Silvitas first laid her eyes upon the settlement, she was awed. The trees were three times bigger than the normal Ashenvale trees…and they _moved_. But what scared her more were the Archers & Huntresses that disappeared & reappeared with their invisibility magic. Silvitas mistook them for ghosts and ran back to the Den, pale and shaking. She told Mother Aeslanda what she had seen with Torvin, and she just laughed and then scolded both her & Torvin for going out in the forest without her permission. 

          The memory made Silvitas blush further. She couldn't believe how ignorant she was as a child. Thankfully, she knew much better about the forest now, and childhood fears no longer scared her.

          She dusted off her pelt (which still had a slash in it, to her dismay) and looked around, becoming aware of her surroundings. Not only was Mother Aeslanda at the camp, but also Torvin and a few other adult wolves. She walked over to Torvin, surprised to find that her wound had completely healed—inside and out. All that was left was a barely visible scar. Now Silvitas knew why the Clan Mother interested in the Moon Wells' water.

          "Are you alright, Torvin?" Silvitas asked. "I didn't bring back the stag…I just got myself into trouble, I'm sorry…"

          Torvin nuzzled Silvitas. "It's okay, sister. The other wolves hunted in your place, and then we followed your scent over to here. As long as you're okay…" His voice trailed off.

          "Is your wound okay, then?" Silvitas queried.

          Torvin nodded. "The Night Elves were kind enough to offer me some of their water."

          Silvitas smiled. "That's good, then…"

          "Prepare yourselves! The greenskins come again!"

          There was a roar, and Silvitas knew immediately who it was. Torvin's blood boiled with rage. He howled and sped into the battle. Silvitas turned around, but something was wrong. Their skins were tinged with the color of red, but there was still no doubt that they were still orcs.

          She readied her bow at a Witchdoctor. She shot, and the Witchdoctor let out a cry before he fell to the ground. She fumbled for the next arrow, aiming at a Grunt. She fired, and it hit its mark, landing dead center in his chest…but it barely seemed to affect him.

          "Look out!" a Night Elf cried.

          Silvitas looked up and saw a boulder coming down near her. She leapt forward, somersaulting on the ground. The boulder crashed behind her, crashing into a Moon Well.

          Silvitas hissed. There were far too many orcs…they were outnumbered. But she wouldn't stand down until Mother Aeslanda gave the orders. Concentrating on all the energy within her, she loaded her bow and aimed it straight towards the sky. She pulled the string back as far as it could go, then let go. The arrow went straight up into the hazy morning sky, clouds disappearing around the arrow. The sky turned red for a moment, then a barrage of Fire Arrows came down on the unsuspecting orcs, striking down the weaker ones.

          Despite her efforts, Night Elves still fell before her. A spear was sent hurling towards Silvitas, grazing her arm. It immediately broke her concentration, and the flaming arrows stopped abruptly. The hole in the clouds that the arrow created covered itself again.

          Silvitas realized that the attack sapped much of her mana, and she mentally slapped herself for not considering it before. Calling on her last stores of mana, she fired an arrow towards a Raider. The arrow split into 9, each hitting a different target.

          Torvin, meanwhile, was biting and snapping at any orc that came his way. He was just as big as some of them, so it wasn't a hard job. Slashes marred his skin as he made his way through the army relentlessly.

          A Kodo Beast came in his way. He snarled and lunged at it, flames suddenly engulfing his body as he slammed into the Kodo Beast. It cried in pain, and its rider fell off the gigantic beast, his skin charred and blistered. 

          Torvin suddenly caught sound of a distinct roar. His hair bristled at the sound of it, and he turned around to find Grom cutting down Huntresses.

          "We have a score to settle, Grom!"  Torvin growled, glowing. Torvin called upon all of his physical strength, taking the Avatar position. He grew to twice his size, and his muscles began to grow stronger, and his skin hardened.

          "You again!" there was almost a look of surprise on Grom's face. Torvin took no heed of his comment and swiped at Grom with his gigantic paw. It merely knocked him to the side, barely doing damage. Torvin snarled and lunged at Grom, canines ready to tear apart flesh. Torvin came down on Grom, but as soon as his massive teeth clamped down on him, he disappeared.

          "What magic is this?!" Torvin hissed. Grom seemed to be nowhere around. "Coward!"

          There was the sound of hooves pounding against the ground. A stag? _No,_ Torvin though. _Something much larger than a stag…_ There was a flash of green, and immediately a Warlock fell before his eyes. He had no idea who did it, but he continued to fight through the army with his remaining Avatar.

          Silvitas also caught the sound of galloping hooves, and looked around for the source of the sound. She quickly caught sight of Cenarius. Grom was taking Cenarius one on one, but she knew that Grom's army would soon back him up. Other Night Elves helped assist Cenarius, but many were quickly cut down by the orcs. Silvitas also became more aware of the base—or what was left of it. The Night Elves & the wolves were pushed back towards the end of the base, and though the Night Elves from the 2 other camps brought backup, Grom's army just kept on coming with inhuman strength.

          It took little time for Cenarius to be almost completely surrounded by Grunts & Raiders.

          Silvitas knew time was running short. Her mana had recharged during the battle, and she raised her bow into the air. She pulled it back, but suddenly she felt weak. She let go of the string, but it only flew a short distance before falling back down in the ground. She swore and turned around to face a Warlock who had snuck behind her. He grinned and a ball of energy was sent right at her. She tried to jump out of the way, but her own body was failing her. It was going far too slow, and the energy was going far to fast. She shut her eyes and tried to brace herself for the impact. The ball smashed into her chest, knocking the air out of her and sent her skidding across the ground. Silvitas groaned and got up ever so slowly. The Warlock gathered another ball of energy this time, only larger and more menacing.

          "Silvitas!" Torvin ran over to her in the nick of time and snatched her up by her pelt. He jumped over the Warlock, his hind legs crashing into the orc's face, knocking him unconscious.

          "Cenarius!" Aeslanda's voice rang through the forest. For the first time, Silvitas saw her _mad._ Aeslanda's fur was bristled and her mouth was pulled back into a snarl. "Back foul beasts!" Aeslanda glowed a reddish color, and the ground was ripped apart as a huge pillar of flame shot up into the sky. The orcs cried out in pain and several fell before Cenarius.

          "Cenarius, you are no match for the orcs, no matter how powerful you may be!" Aeslanda cried out. "Retreat with what is left of your fellow Night Elves if you care for your life!"

          "I am the heart of this land!" Cenarius yelled. "And I will never abandon it!"

          "Cenarius…" Aeslanda's hissed. "Cenarius, sometimes it is better to run. You are not abandoning your kind. I am sure that they want you to live more than anything else. Please, for your sake, and for the Night Elves' sake…back off! This is your chance, Cenarius. Please…"

          Cenarius hesitated for a moment. "Retreat, my warriors, retreat!" he cried out, and he leapt over Grom, Night Elves following behind him.

          Silvitas felt the slowing effects wearing off, and her strength returning. She scrambled to get on Torvin, and he took off with Aeslanda, other wolves trailing behind him.

_A/N: Well, here's the 3rd chapter. It took a little bit longer, I know…but I was stuck playing Bahamut Lagoon & Tales of Phantasia (hey, they may be old, but they're still FUN). I think I'm done with both right now. ^_^; It turned out different than I anticipated. I was planning on having Cenarius die, but I didn't really want to follow the story completely, so I changed it. I also reformatted the 1st and 2nd chapters, so the italics and everything else shows. And no, the orcs aren't going to be the enemies for the entire thing, Hyper Guyver, just for now. I just needed something to set the stage, and it just turned out to be this way._

_ Anyway, from the 21st to the 26th I'll be gone on vacation (I'm going to Canada), and school starts on the 28th. School will most likely bog my writing down, so they might not come as quickly as I would like them to. But anyway…hope you enjoyed this chapter!___


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Blizzard (though it would be nice ^_^;), and I am no making any profit from writing this. I'm writing this because 1) Warcraft III owns me, and 2) for fun, of course. ^_^

**Chapter 4**

          They ran. Silvitas didn't know how long they ran. The orcs, at first, were pursuing them, but they gave up as dawn came. They still had a long way to the Den, however, and Silvitas felt too tired to continue.

          She collapsed in exhaustion, and vomited. Torvin stopped and allowed the exhausted girl to mount him, and he bounded off to catch up with the rest of the group.

          There weren't any casualties for the wolves, but it was a different story for the night elves. Only about a dozen were with them now. Most of them were lost during the fight—the others were shot down when the orcs were chasing them. 

          Silvitas gripped Torvin tightly, breathing heavily. They wouldn't make it to the Den until the afternoon, and it was only mid morning. Silvitas closed her exhausted eyes, and a fitful sleep took over her.

* * *

          "They are coming soon."

          Four wolves sat in a circle in a cave. In the center stood a single wolf, Gravus Firedance. His fur was black with many gray hairs across his coat. His eyes were a milky white, and he was a frail creature. The wolf was blind and the wisest wolf of all. And, despite being deprived of sight, his ears could detect a mouse's squeak from a mile away; far better than any wolf.

          "How far away are there, Gravus?" a wolf asked.

          "They will make it here by afternoon," Gravus replied. "They also have visitors with them…a wise visitor, far older than me. Far, far older…and also many others…" His voice trailed off. He was lost in his thought again, sitting still and in silence.

          The other wolves were confused. They had nothing to ask of the wolf, so they got up and left.

          Gravus closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He was again alone in the dark cave. He didn't mind it. Alone meant he could think without interruptions. It was also much more peaceful without other wolves to ask him questions or bother him.

          "Wolf Mother Spir-Alan help us…the forest reeks of death and despair. The ground now marred with blood of many. They come again, Wolf Mother. They come again."

* * *  
  


          It was a stop that awoke Silvitas. Her legs were sore, but she felt a bit reenergized. She looked around. The sun was up, but it was still too cool to be the afternoon. It looked like they all stopped at a pond to rest.

          "Drink, sister," Torvin said, bending down so Silvitas could dismount. She flinched a little as she made her way to the pond. She dropped on her knees and dipped her hands into the water, drinking handful after handful of it.

          Cenarius, getting the first time to think clearly, was feeling a bit guilty at first for leaving behind the other night elves. But after sitting alone in contemplation, he figured that it was only for the better. He paced around impatiently. He lived for many years in the forest, and though he was old, he still had lots of pent up energy. He wasn't feeling tired at all after the long run; in fact, he'd enjoy another run if they weren't running from the orcs.

          Aeslanda padded up behind the group. "The orcs are not following us anymore, for sure," she announced, startling the group. "But we must get going soon to heal the wounds and gather our strength. These forests are nothing safe. I sense a dark, brooding force, and it is not the orcs."

          "As I do, too," Cenarius said. "The trees screech and the animals weep in these forests…it pains me to see them live in fear day after day. But, it also frustrates me that I cannot do much to save them."

          Aeslanda nodded solemnly. "Talking will do no good, however. The red skinned orcs are brutes and will not stand for what they think is trivial. And our negotiating with them is one of the things."

          "Then I say we just head in there and kill the damn monsters!" one of the wolves barked.

          "Are you a fool, Arron? Only in great numbers will we be able to defeat them. They are stronger than the green skinned orcs. And though I do not know what is behind the change—"

          "—there is a demonic force behind it," Cenarius interrupted. "I know it; I feel it. A great demon that I fought eons ago…I felt his presence in each of the orcs."

          "…that's it," Silvitas's eyes widened. "Who was the wolf who saw the two demons?"

          Aeslanda turned to her, puzzled. "It was Gravus, Silvitas. But more like he heard the demons from his den, actually. Why?"

          "I mean, how often has a demon actually come to these forests?" Silvitas asked. "Never! They might be the cause of the corruption

          Aeslanda blinked. "I never thought about that, Silvitas. We must talk to Gravus, then. The day goes by, and we have a limited amount of time. Let us be off." She trotted into the woods, followed by the rest of the troop.

* * *

          Gravus trotted out of his den, taking a deep breath. He sat in front of his den, listening and taking in his surroundings.

          "Hello, Aeslanda," Gravus greeted the group before they had a chance to. He was one of the few who could call Aeslanda without the formalities. "You came earlier than these sharp old ears could hear."

          "We must talk, Gravus," Aeslanda said.

          "I know that," Gravus said. "You have an interesting group with you right now…ah, the great Cenarius. A pleasure to meet you and the night elves. The last time a night elf stayed in this camp was so long ago…they are good company, yes…"

          "Gravus, stop your rambling," Aeslanda said curtly.

          "Ah, sorry then," Gravus said. "What is it that you want to know?"

          "I assume you know that there are orcs here," Aeslanda said.

          Gravus nodded.

          "Good, then. We ran into red skinned orcs, however. Much more powerful…and much more of an evil aura surrounding them. Do you still remember the two demons at the fountain."

          Gravus, again, nodded.

          "Tell us what happened there."

          "Very well then. It was early morning—the sun was just rising and the birds were waking. I awoke with them, and I decided to take a walk out in the wilderness. It was maybe about an hour into my walk when I encountered them. Thank goodness, those terrible beasts thought I was just an ordinary wolf, for I would have been slain like the poor Furbolgs guarding the fountain. Anyway, being blind old me, I cannot exactly describe the two demons. All I can say is that one was terribly large. An impatient and hotheaded one he is. The other, smaller, but still larger than your average demon. He was more a cool, calculating type."

          "And did they do anything else?"

          "Of course. I heard them talking about you, Cenarius. The smaller one suggested using the orcs to kill you. Apparently, a blood pact was made between the larger demon—Mannoroth, I think that was his name…"

          "Mannoroth…" Cenarius hissed. "I remember that foul demon…"

          "Quiet, Cenarius," Aeslanda said. "Continue, Gravus."

          "Hm. So Mannoroth spilled his blood in the fountain. The smaller one, the dread lord I believe, told Mannoroth that it would fuel the orcs' fury. And that was about it, as I sneaked off into the woods again."

          "So you are right, Silvitas," Aeslanda said. "Come, night elves. Today we rest and gather our strength; tomorrow is the day we set out in search of this evil."

* * *

          The Den was only a small clearing full of burrows and caves. When the sun was still up, the Den would be flurrying with activity. Mother wolves would take care of their pups, who would be off romping and playing with their friends. The males would patrol their territory, making sure nothing strange was going on. The old wolves were content telling stories to the young wolves, or better yet, alone in their cozy homes.

          Silvitas wasn't feeling too social after her ordeal. She decided to go to her den to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Her den was only a small cave, split into three different rooms—one for Torvin, one for Aeslanda, and one for Silvitas. Silvitas's room only had a blanket in there, and a couple of doodles one the walls. Her lip curled into a small smile. She remembered when she was young, and how she always drew on the walls. She wasn't very good at it, but she still found it fun. She would ask Torvin or Aeslanda to paint something, but they couldn't. When she was young she always asked why she was so different, and after hearing Aeslanda's story of her past over and over again. Afterwards she began to slowly lose interest in drawings, but the few drawings that she still had she was viciously protective over.

          Silvitas flopped onto her blanket, still tired. She heard a lot of commotion outside—the shamans chanting, the inquisitive pups wondering who the newcomers were—but Silvitas was too exhausted to take part in it. She fell asleep quickly.

_A/N: I know, I was just kind of regurgitating already-known information in there, but I had to throw it in so we could get a show on Silvitas's wits._

_Well, I know this one came slower. Writing is hard with school and not too much motivation. It's weird, how you really, REALLY want to write about something, then you write the first chapter, and then the inspiration just really dies down. But don't worry, I promise I'll keep this one going until the end. ^^; I don't think this story will be too long either way, though, because I'm really no good at making long stories._

_Oh, and to answer your question, Hyper Guyver, the wolves are…wolves. Only they're a lot bigger, maybe like horse-size only bulkier because of fur and stuff. Though, having a human/wolf hybrid would've been a good idea for Torvin's Avatar. I never thought about that. X_x I was thinking about it the other day, and I came up with an idea that I can use that form later on in the story…thanks for the suggestion, you'll see in the next chapters. ^^_


	5. Hiatus

**An Unwilling Hiatus**

I'm sorry to say, but I have to put the story on hold. _

Okay, first things first. For a couple of days or so my dad was doing all these things to my computer, like putting in more disk space, creating disk images, putting in RAM, installing Windows XP…He told me that he wanted all of my games on the C drive, and I assumed that once he was done with everything, he would just transfer all of my games to my C drive.

As I was writing, I needed to refresh my memory (I always have to ^^; ). I looked up on my desktop to get he shortcut to Warcraft III. Not there. I checked my D drive, not there. I checked my C drive, not there. _; So I called up my dad, and I told him that, and he said that he was well aware that my games would go poof. _!!!! (It makes me wonder, though, because my games were on my D drive and so were my writings and all, but those didn't disappear) It pissed me off, because he NEVER told me that. And since we have the copied & cracked version of Warcraft III (you can kill me now XD) which was borrowed from my brother's friend, I have no idea how to get it back since my brother just left to college today. So I don't know how long this will be put on hold. If I can't find a way around it, I'll just continue on with the story, but there might be some things way off because I have to go by what I can only remember. You're welcome to help me, however, if I can't find a way to reinstall Warcraft 3. But you'll have to put up with endless questions. ^^;


End file.
